For those who frequent The Gospel according to Superheroes or have read or listened to my sermons and Christian Formation sessions at therevtreysthoughts.blogspot.com, you will have noticed that I often take stories that, at first glance, might not seem to have much to do with the Bible and connect them to the Gospel message. The trick to doing so is much simpler than you might, at first, think. What it really involves is having a good understanding of what the Gospel is. Gospel literally means "Good News". Specifically, it is the Good News of Jesus Christ. The story of Jesus is this: God made us and loves us, but we, as human beings, have not always done a good job of loving God back. As the rift between us and God grew over time, God decided to do the unthinkable to fix it. God came down into the world in human form as Jesus, lived among us, and died for us so that we could live. That saga of death and Resurrection is at the heart and center of the story of Jesus, the story of Christianity, and the story of our Faith. Knowing that story, whether in a nutshell or in all its complexity, is the key to understanding the Good News. If you can understand that, then you can start to look for it and see it in other stories all around you. That's the trick right there. Of course within that story of the Gospel there are more stories that we can find. Knowing and seeing those stories involves studying Scripture more and more. If this journey of diving deeper into Scripture and seeing the relations between other stories in the world and the stories of the Bible is something you want to do, The Gospel according to Superheroes is a good place to start. You can even delve deeper in places like Trey's Thoughts as well. Remember, the story of the Good News of Jesus is out there wherever you may be. You just have to start looking for it.
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Below is the text for this video. If you are interested in any of the services mentioned, please click the highlighted words for links to those services. Hi! This is Trey Kennedy from The Gospel according to Superheroes. I just wanted to provide some helpful resources to help explore both the world of faith and the world of “nerdom” from the comfort of your own home. (As a disclaimer, I have not been paid by any of these services, I’m just a fan, and all links will be included below.)
First, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the best Bible apps out there. It comes from YouVersion. It is free and has just about every version of the Bible out there, including some in Hebrew and Greek, the languages that the Bible was originally written in. You can also use it to schedule time for you to read the Bible throughout the week and to find other prayer resources. If you have a library card, there are a lot of online resources you can use to check out books and other media. Libby by Overdrive is a great app for your phone or tablet that gives you access to books and audiobooks. It’s what I use when I go for a run! You can even have any books you check out sent directly to your Kindle, if you have one. Hoopla is another great library source you can download on your phone, tablet, or use from your desktop computer. Like Libby, you can borrow books and audiobooks from the service. You can also borrow movies and TV shows, and, one of my personal favorites, comics. Please note that there are limits on what you can borrow in a given time period for both these apps. If you can’t access these apps with your library card, contact your local library and see if you can help support them in getting these services. There are so many streaming services out there, it’s hard to know where to begin. If you’re on a budget, see about getting a free trial to find out which service may be best for you. If you like comics, there are all kind of resources. DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, IDW, Valiant, and others have apps that you can use to read digital comics online. Occasionally they will have issues for free, or you can wait till your favorite series is on sale and grab ‘em up cheap. If you want to have all your comics all in one place, Comixology from Amazon will allow you to connect your accounts with other publishers or buy from them directly. Finally, there are video games. Depending on what gaming system you use, you can find digital copies of your favorite games, some for free and some occasionally on sale. Keep your eye out for when these deals happen. Some games allow for online play as well. If you are a younger nerd, please make sure you have permission from your parents before buying, viewing, or playing anything. Parents, this is also a great opportunity to get involved with your kids’ interests and see may be where the message of the Gospel might be reaching out to your child or even to you. Where to find that Gospel message will be the subject of the next post. Until then, blessings to you! Please note, Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee is rated E for Everyone! Pokémon has always been a great franchise with a good message. At the end of the first set of games, your character is told that he (later s/he) won thanks to his (later her/his) "trust and love" for his Pokémon and by working together with them. This is a great message, and one that we as Christians can get on board with. We are called to work together with one another, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12. It always bothered me, though, that togetherness and friendship only extended to your Pokémon (and really only in the later games when your Pokémon could gain happiness), not really to anyone else. Certainly not to your rival who was always trying to sneak up on you for a battle and had the catch phrase "Smell ya later!" One of the things I love about Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee is that all that has changed. Yes, you still battle your 'rival' from time to time. But now instead of just fighting each other, you're now friends. Your rival gives you tips, gifts, and helps you at key points of the story line. You're both working to "be the very best", but you're also working to build one another up too. There's been a shift in how your rival is viewed from the very first Pokémon games to Pokémon Let's Go. No longer is the rival a simple enemy, but now a friend. This trend has even continued in Pokémon Sword/Shield. Jesus calls us to change our perspective as well in Matthew 5 when He says "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Pokémon gets it. Do you? Please note, Frozen II is rated PG. One of my favorite themes in Frozen II comes towards the beginning. Elsa accidentally wakes up magical elemental spirits, which forces the Kingdom of Arendalle to evacuate to higher ground. The Trolls also make their way to where the people of Arendalle are camped out. Their leader, Grand Pabbie reveals that they must right a wrong and discover the truth, otherwise, there will be no future for the kingdom. He then tells Elsa and Anna: When one can see no future, all one can do is the next right thing. Cabbie's words become the mantra for the main characters for the rest of the film, and they are wise words in deed. They are wise words for us as well. It is important, for kids and adults, to realize we don't have all the answers. There are times in all our lives where we are uncertain of what to do. Even the prophets of old, such as Elijah, struggled at times to know what the next step for them should be. Like Elijah did, these are often times for us to take a step back and find our center with God. We don't always know what to do in life, but if we have the courage to take the time to listen to God, we can find the next right thing do. Previously, we saw the death of Supergirl in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Her heroism had a deep affect on Kimiyo Hoshi, a.k.a. Doctor Light, the hero we'll be discussing today. When we first see Dr. Hoshi, shortly before she receives her powers to help with Crisis, she is arrogant and more than a little mean, even though she was handpicked by the Monitor to help save the day. She even criticizes her father after he comes to the defense of their fellow scientists, saying, "No wonder mother left you." All that changes when she witnesses Supergirl's sacrifice. In her own words, Doctor Light says, I have wasted away my life with selfishness. No more With Supergirl's influence, Doctor Light's heart starts to change. Unfortunately, as Doctor Light tries to help Supergirl in her final battle, Supergirl turns and is hit with a blast from the Anti-Monitor, leading to her death. Later, as the Anti-Monitor returns to destroy the entire universe, Harbinger seeks out Doctor Light and other heroes (Lest we forget, Harbinger is also a hero who has a change of heart, leading her to serve the side of good). Doctor Light has gone to the Japanese hero, Sunburst, for help and guidance since she blames herself for Supergirl's death. Harbinger tells Doctor Light it is not her fault, but that doesn't mean Doctor Light should let go of the lessons Supergirl taught her. As she gains the courage to leave with Harbinger, Sunspot muses on Doctor Light's change of heart, saying, It is through selflessness only that any measure of greatness can be attained. power is made perfect in weakness Doctor Light's journey is the same as our own. We often find ourselves caught up in our own worlds before God comes into our lives to change them and make us whole. It is that initial push that makes us realize the importance of giving our lives to something greater than ourselves. That push is what allows us to go and do the work of God in the world and to follow those who come to us along the way as they help us to better serve the Lord. One of the most important issues in the seminal Crisis on Infinite Earths is issue 7. In going up against the Anti-Monitor, the heroes must make a sacrifice. That hero is none other than Supergirl. Supergirl gives her life in the Crisis in order to give the rest of the universe a chance at life. Her death, in this way, is very similar to Jesus' death to save us from sin and death. Supergirl's sacrifice is also like Jesus' because of the affect she has on others. On the whole, Supergirl's death gives a legacy and example of love and sacrifice to the other heroes. As Batgirl says at Supergirl's funeral: Let her courage give us courage. Let her love give us love, and let her hope give us hope. Supergirl's sacrifice also affects one particular superhero, the new Doctor Light. Previously, Doctor Light has been selfish, but Supergirl opens her eyes to the importance and value of putting the needs of others above your own. Supergirl's death completely changes who Doctor Light is for the better, as we will discuss more soon.
Jesus' death and Resurrection affect us as well. Jesus calls us to a new life of life, love, and hope. Just as with Suprergirl's friends, we too should heed that call and give the same self-sacrificing love to others. Please note, Doctor Who is rated TV-PG. Warning: Spoilers for Doctor Who S12:E10 "The Timeless Children" ahead! Throughout Doctor Who, the Doctor is often on the side of protecting life in the universe as a hero. The final episode of Series 12 is no exception. The Doctor shows herself to be on the side of life in two ways: through the sacrifice she is willing to make and for not being willing to pull the trigger. Sacrifice: Towards the end of the episode, the Doctor has to make a choice that will end the threat of her archfrienemy, the Master, and his new Cybermen/Time Lord hybrids (a.k.a. Cybermasters). Unfortunately, ending their threat will mean the end of the Doctor as well. Her friends beg her not to give up her life. The Doctor replies: I would do that in a heartbeat for this universe, for you, my fam. Jesus faced the same kind of concern over His death, and He too saw that dying was necessary for Him to do in order to save the world. We see this with the famous "Get behind me, Satan" line He says to Peter in both Matthew 16:23 and Mark 8:33. Even in dying, Jesus expressed concern over how His disciples lived their lives. That is why He tells them that "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." in John 13:34. The Doctor also expresses this type of concern for her friends as she walks away and tells them to "live great lives." Not Pulling the Trigger: In the end, the Doctor can't go through with pulling the trigger to end the Master and his Cybermasters too. Even though they will become an unstoppable force, the Doctor cannot give up on life and become, as the Master tells her, "death". She cannot give in to the Master's temptations and taunts and become just like him. Fortunately for the universe, the character Ko Sharmus, comes back to check on the Doctor. He is the one who originally sent the Cyberman database back in time which started this whole crisis to begin with. As penance, Ko Sharmus stays behind and gives his life to end the threat of the Master and his Cybermasters.
Both the Doctor and Ko Sharmus are examples to us. We too should not give in to the temptations of the evil one, but remain on the side of God, which means life. We should also see where it is we have fallen short and do whatever we can to fix those mistakes, especially when it means helping protect others. One of the most interesting characters in the classic comic crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez is Lyla Michaels a.k.a. Harbinger. Lyla was saved as a child by the Monitor, a super powerful being trying to save the world from his evil counterpart. The Monitor raises Lyla to complete his mission.
Even as Lyla falls to the influence of the Anti-Monitor, she still fights back. This is similar to what Paul speaks of in Romans 7:14-25 with the conflict between the law of God and the law of sin.
Fortunately, the Monitor planned for Lyla's betrayal, and used the opportunity to release his energies and save the world. This is, in many ways, like the sacrifice Jesus makes to save us. We might be tempted to think of Lyla like Judas, who betrayed Jesus and led Him to His death. That is a fair connection to make, but it is more helpful to think of Lyla as being similar to us. We too at times let God down. Like Lyla, we are called to move forward, turn back to God, and continue to serve our Lord as best we can. Just as the Monitor makes the best of a bad situation, God too makes the most of our mistakes and those of others. Lyla does exactly that. She takes on the Monitor's mission as her own by gathering heroes and villains alike to save what is left of the world. Thanks to her, the world is able to survive Crisis and go on living.
We too are called to carry on Jesus Christ's mission in this world. At times we may fall short, but as long as we continue to turn back to God, we will have nothing to fear. Like Lyla, redemption is always possible for us, and it can help us to move forward as better servants of God. Please note, Luke Cage is rated TV-MA. In both Matthew and Luke, Jesus is tempted by the devil, and in both versions, the devil tries to tempt Jesus by using Scripture. In Luke Cage, Willis Stryker is similar. Just as the devil is connected with the serpent in the Garden of Eden story in Genesis, Stryker is also connected with snakes, mainly through his street name: Diamondback. Stryker, also like the devil, has a penchant for using Scripture. Here are the verses he quotes from the King James Version during Luke Cage Season 1:
Diamondback later reveals to a hostage that he still has the Bible his father gave to his mother. He shows it, marked and notated all over. The first passage we see is the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 before the hostage turns to the story of Noah and the Ark shortly after. The Bible is curiously marked at Numbers 29, which discusses the offerings to be given at the various festivals Moses and the Israelites were to keep. It becomes apparent later, particularly with the story of Cain and Abel, that Diamondback sees his life through the lens of these passages.
Scripture is surest way that God's people have listened to God's word throughout the ages, but that doesn't mean people don't abuse it for their own purposes instead of God's. When we look through Scripture, we have to make sure that we are actually using it to listen to what God is saying to us though it and not just twisting it to say what we want to hear. Use it, but don't abuse it. |
Please note, there maybe Spoilers in the Posts below!
The Rev. Trey KennedyHere is my take on how Superheroes and other characters can help us know God better. Categories
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